Influences: Ishmael Ensemble

Pete: I first came across Mette’s work when she joined Shabaka Hutchings on a Gilles Peterson session a few years ago. I was instantly struck by the fragility and delicate nature of her tone, often subsumed in breath and the mechanical sounds of the saxophone itself. When you do get a fully formed note, it’s like a glimmer of light shining through the storm cloud. This whole album is gorgeous and has often come as a timely reminder that “less is more” when working on stuff for the ensemble.

Jake: James Holden’s latest project ‘The Animal Spirits’ is the culmination of a career I’ve followed since my teens. From first hearing his ‘At The Controls’ mix & early work on Border Community, I’ve been inspired by his use of polyrhythms and intelligent, melodic patterns. This latest project has become a blueprint for what’s possible with modular synthesis in a more traditional band set-up for me.

Stephen: Stephen Malkmus is without doubt my favourite guitarist. Sometimes misjudged as a sloppy player, once you scratch away at the surface, you begin to see how adept he really is. With a minimal amount of pedals and effects, he manages to produce a vast array of tones and moods, often veering from beautiful to horrible in the same bar. This couldn’t be more apparent than in the solo from this video.

Rory: The Floating Points live show melds the rigidity of electronic music and the colour of dynamic live drums. When Pete first showed me the initial ideas for the Ishmael Ensemble project, I immediately saw the potential to work in a capricious setting. Often I’ll sit on a beat, knowing there are sections in a tune where I can unravel and express myself. This Floating Points session demonstrates my thinking when I approach my part within Ishmael Ensemble tracks.

Pete: In my opinion, Colin Stetson is the most exciting saxophonist of the 21st century. You could spend hours trying to work out how he’s produced so many tones from one instrument or just sit back and enjoy the ride. Whichever way you choose to listen, you’re sure to be hit by an unstoppable wave of freneticism and power.

Jake: Nils Frahm is a master at creating fully immersive music. There’s rarely a solid melody or structure in his work which in turn makes for an incredibly hypnotic listening experience. Although this performance is based on a rigid synth sequence that plays throughout the nine minutes, it feels extremely human. It seems the beauty lies within the manipulation of sound, not the sound source itself. This human approach to synthesis is something I strive for in my own playing.

Stephen: Like most ’90s indie kids, I was infatuated with Jonny Greenwood from the get-go. His driving riffs and bold solos are always sitting nice and loud in the mix regardless of how weird or dissonant they are. He inspired me to get a Boss DD6 delay which still sits in my pedal board today. More recently, I’ve gained a huge appreciation for Ed O’Brien’s playing, often found building the atmospheric bed of a track with delays and ebow loops, techniques I now use a lot in Ishmael Ensemble.

Rory: Despite using arguably ‘simple’ ideas, the drummer is at the centre of this set-up and riveting to watch. I think the way I play with Ishmael Ensemble, our dynamics can often highlight me as the centrepiece at times. It’s drummers like this that allow you to recognise and value the need to play what the song requires and deliver it with restraint. Without the use of obscurity, odd metering and syncopation, you can still play understated parts extremely effectively, making them interesting and attractive.